The present invention relates to vending systems in general, and, more particularly, to free-access vending systems for use in commercial dining facilities such as cafeterias.
A "free-access vending system" permits a customer to take items of merchandise at will from a designated self-service unit, and then automatically bills the customer for whatever items are taken after the customer takes them. This is in contrast to a conventional vending system, which requires prepayment, or a deposit sufficient to cover payment, for each item which the customer desires to purchase, prior to the taking of the item by the customer. A free-access vending system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,999 to the present inventor, which is incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. In particular, many details of implementing a free-access vending system such as that used in the present cafeteria self-service system are disclosed and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,999. The terms "automatic", "automatically", "automated", and "automation" herein refer to any operation by a mechanical or electrical device which requires no human assistance or intervention. The terms "semi-automatic", "semi-automated", and "semi-automatically" refer to any operation by a mechanical or electrical device which requires some human assistance or intervention.
Vending systems, usually in the form of "vending machines", are commonly used in various locations to provide unattended points of sale for light foods such as beverages and snack items, but an important area of interest that currently is not properly addressed is in vending systems for the automation of cafeterias. The term "cafeteria" herein denotes any commercial or institutional dining facility serving a number of patrons, in which the patrons normally participate in the serving process, such as by directly taking items of food items from special designated self-service units for the storage and display of food items, herein referred to as "cafeteria self-service units". Examples of configurations to further elucidate the term "cafeteria" as used herein are given below. The term "patron" herein denotes any person who obtains food items at a cafeteria, including, but not limited to, paying customers, account holders, guests of such customers and account holders, and other guests.
Patron self-service eliminates many staffing requirements in a dining facility, leading to increased economy and efficiency. The cafeteria format is well-suited to reducing labor requirements, and many advances have been made in eliminating unnecessary labor. It has long been recognized, however, that there are aspects of cafeteria operation where even further labor reductions are possible. In particular, the task of receiving payment from patrons for food is an area of special interest because local regulations often prohibit personnel who handle food from also handling money. Such regulations require either additional personnel to handle payment or some from of automated payment handler. This is also the case for institutional cafeterias, such as those at schools, whose patrons may have pre-established payment accounts for their meals. The term "automated cafeteria" herein denotes any cafeteria or similar dining facility with one or more integrated systems for automation, including, but not limited to, an automated payment handler, an automated food item preparation system, and/or a food item inventory management system. Automated cafeterias come under the category of "cafeteria self-service systems", which term is used herein to denote the general classification of systems which are included in the present invention.
Cafeteria Configurations
There are a number of different configurations of a commercial or institutional dining facility which fall under the definition of "cafeteria" as used herein. For example, it is noted that the food item preparation that takes place in the kitchen depends on the requirements of the individual cafeteria. The kitchen of one particular cafeteria may have a full complement of kitchen equipment for cooking, roasting, baking, carving, ware-washing, etc., and be able to prepare food items from raw meats and vegetables, fresh-baked breads and pastries, and so forth. The kitchen of another cafeteria may have considerably less equipment and may rely more on packaged prepared food items (frozen, canned, etc.). The kitchen of still another cafeteria may have virtually no kitchen equipment at all--perhaps only equipment for warming or chilling food items prepared off-premises in a central facility and delivered to the cafeteria for serving, optionally on disposable plates and with disposable utensils which require no washing. In fact, the kitchen of a cafeteria may have no kitchen equipment whatsoever, and may be only a staging area for arranging food items to be placed into the cafeteria self-service unit. Thus, the term "kitchen" as used herein denotes any area, location, or facility from which food items can be placed into a cafeteria self-service unit, including, but not limited to, facilities with complete food supply operation capabilities, facilities with minimal food supply operation capabilities, and facilities with only food handling capabilities. The term "food supply operation" herein collectively denotes any action needed to make a food item ready for sale to a patron and to place that food item in a cafeteria self-service unit.
It is further noted that the configuration of the dining and patron self-service area can also be varied to suit the requirements of the individual cafeteria. The dining and patron self-service area of one particular cafeteria may have a dedicated room with tables and chairs, whereas the dining and patron self-service area of another cafeteria might be shared in common with other dining facilities, such as in a "food court" of a shopping mall. In this case, the cafeteria self-service unit would be on the outer periphery of a store front facing the food court, and patrons would select and purchase food items from the cafeteria self-service unit and carry them into the common part of the cafeteria self-service unit, where there are tables and chairs for dining. In still another variation, the dining and patron self-service area of a cafeteria might be substantially only an access point to the cafeteria self-service unit having no separate floor area, tables, or chairs, wherein patrons would select and purchase food items from the cafeteria self-service unit and carry the food items away, such as for consumption while walking. A cafeteria of this sort according to the present invention would be similar to the familiar "take out" store-front of food item vendors in urban areas.
In the minimal configuration, a cafeteria could have both a minimal kitchen and a minimal dining and patron self-service area, and be essentially a food item distribution point built around a cafeteria self-service unit, similar to a kiosk in an urban area or a concession stand at a park or fair.
All of these above configurations, and other combinations thereof without limitation, are considered to be cafeterias for purposes of applying the system according to the present invention.
Automated payment handlers for use in cafeterias are well-known in the prior art. For example, in July 1912, the Horn and Hardart company opened its first "Automat" in New York City. The overall operation of a prior art automated cafeteria, as exemplified by the "Automat", is illustrated in FIG. 1. An automated cafeteria is divided into two general areas, a dining and patron self-service area 102, and a kitchen 104, which are separated by a cafeteria self-service unit 106. In this example, a patron 108 selects from among a group of food items 116, 120, and 124, which are contained respectively in compartments 117, 121, and 125 of cafeteria self-service unit 106. A compartment 113 is shown as presently empty. Each of the compartments 113, 117, 121, and 125 has a respective patron access door 110, 114, 118, and 122. These patron access doors have a transparent section (possibly including the entire patron access door), so that patron 108 may view the food items in the respective compartments. In the prior art automated cafeteria exemplified by the "Automat", patron 108 selects a food item (116, 120, or 124) for purchase and then deposits coins 107 into conventional vending system-style slots 111, 115, 119, or 123 adjacent to the patron access door (114, 118, or 122) corresponding to the selected food item (116, 120, or 124). [In practice, prices of food items in the "Automat" were all fixed at multiples of 5.cent., and conventional vending system-style slots 115, 119, or 123 were set to accept different numbers of 5.cent. coins depending on the price of the particular food item.] When the proper amount of money is deposited, patron 108 can open the corresponding patron access door and remove the selected food item. The food items contained in the different compartments may cover a varied bill of fare. For example, food item 116 in compartment 117 might be an entre, whereas a food item 120 in compartment 121 might be a side order. Removed items are conveniently replenished from kitchen 104 by a staff person 126, who in this example opens an optional service access door 128 to place a food item 112 into empty compartment 113 of cafeteria self-service unit 106. [In practice at the "Automat", food items for replenishment were loaded onto a carousel (not shown) adjacent to cafeteria self-service unit 106, and then easily pushed into their respective compartments.]
Regardless of whether or not there is a service access door, however, there is always at least one "service access point", which herein denotes an opening or other entry point into a cafeteria self-service unit through which food items may be replenished without interfering with the patrons, such as directly from the kitchen. This is true both for a prior art automated cafeteria as well as for an automated cafeteria according to the present invention. In general, so that replenishment of the food items be possible without interfering with the patrons, it is necessary that there be at least two independent access points to the shelves of the cafeteria self-service unit, such that access through one of the access points does not conflict with access through another access point. The simplest way of insuring that two or more access points do not conflict is to have them access the shelves from substantially different geometrical directions, and the term "direction" regarding a shelf herein denotes a positional bearing with respect to that shelf characterized by a spatial or angular measure relative to that shelf. For example, the patrons access the cafeteria self-service unit from one direction, while the staff personnel access the cafeteria self-service unit from another direction. Each direction of access has a separate and independent access point. In the case of the prior art automated cafeteria, the access point for patrons has a patron access door for each compartment, as previously described.
Note that, according to the prior art vending system technology, each compartment (113, 117, 121, and 125) is intended to contain only a single food item (112, 116, 120, and 124). For example, even though food item 120 is a small side order, only a single such item is intended to be within a compartment, because once the patron has opened the compartment, there are no restrictions on what can be taken. Furthermore, the various compartments generally have only a few different heights and widths because it is difficult to freely adapt the vending machine-style patron access doors (110, 114, 118, and 122) to a large variety of sizes. Furthermore, the depths of the compartments generally must be identical. As a consequence, a small side order such as food item 120 can take up almost as much room (or just as much room) in cafeteria self-service unit 106 as does a large entre such as food item 116. As a consequence of these limitations, the prior art automated cafeteria makes inefficient use of the cafeteria self-service units.
One of the advantages of the prior art automated cafeteria over a conventional vending system is that replenishment of the food items can be accomplished without interfering with the patrons in their selection and purchase of the food items. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the replenishment operation by the staff person proceeds independently of the selection and purchase operations by the patron. In contrast, in a conventional vending system, to replenish items of merchandise, such as food items, it is normally necessary to temporarily suspend the availability of the conventional vending system for purchasing items of merchandise. This advantage of the prior art automated cafeteria is also featured in an automated cafeteria according to the present invention.
The benefits to the operator of an automated cafeteria are in reduced labor overhead, not only in handling payment, but also in reduced staffing requirements for handling the food items. Food items arc individually apportioned and presented so that once on display, the patron requires no assistance from staff personnel (such as a carver or other server) for self-service. The benefits to the patrons are in convenience, case of selection, economy, speed, and simplicity of purchasing. The concept of an automated cafeteria as exemplified by the "Automat" was readily accepted by the public, and at the height of its popularity there were about 40 "Automat" locations in New York. The "Automat" was commercially successful for a period of about 75 years from its introduction until its decline in the late 1980's and eventual closing in the early 1990's. Much of the decline in popularity and commercial viability of the "Automat" may be attributed to the limitations of the underlying coin-based automated payment handler technology, which is not well-suited to modern marketing styles and consumer expectations. One of the principal limitations of conventional coin-based vending system technology for application in a cafeteria is that coin-based payment is cumbersome and inconvenient, largely because inflation has badly eroded the buying power of conventional coinage. The purchase of an occasional drink or snack item from a conventional vending system which accepts coins may not be bothersome, but buying an entire meal at current prices using coins is completely inconvenient. This drawback also extends to the use of small bills, which are often accepted by conventional vending systems. Small bills arc also becoming less convenient to use because larger denominations are more frequently needed to cover everyday purchases. Another disadvantage of conventional vending systems is that they require a complete purchase cycle for each single item purchased, and this is inconvenient for patrons.
The use of modem charge cards, such as credit cards or debit cards, eliminates the inconvenience of having to carry cash and make change for larger purchases, but charge cards may be inefficient for small purchases because of the overhead associated with charge transactions. One of the benefits of the cafeteria is in offering patrons a wide range of food items from light snacks to complete meals with similar convenience and economy regardless of the total cost or extent of the purchases. For example, in a cafeteria a patron can purchase only a cup of coffee as conveniently as an entire three-course meal with side orders. Charge cards are not well-suited to these smaller purchases. For this reason, a conventional charge card is not the optimal basis for an automated payment handler in a cafeteria. It is also inefficient to combine automated charge card payment with automated coin-based vending systems in a cafeteria, because the same food items can be part of a large purchase as well as an individual purchase. For example, if a vending machine were installed to dispense beverages for the convenience of patrons who wished to make only small purchases, then separate facilities would also be needed to serve beverages to patrons purchasing complete meals using charge cards. Otherwise, the patrons purchasing complete meals using charge cards would have to buy their beverages from vending machines, and that would be inconvenient for them.
The free-access vending system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,999 to the present inventor utilizes an automated payment handler that offers equal convenience for both small and large purchases and allows for complete customer self service. This automated payment handler is based on the use of payment cards, one embodiment of which combines a charge function with an electronic purse (a feature of stored value "smart cards") to handle both large and small purchases with the same payment card, and another embodiment of which is a local payment card which is free of transaction overhead (e.g., a payment card issued by an employer to employees for use on company premises, which charges purchases to a prearranged employee account). Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,211 to Kawasaki et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,090 to Harris et al., and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,411 to Staar disclose hotel room minibar free-access self-service devices wherein customers have prearranged payment accounts. These payment methods solve the problem of making large and small payments equally convenient.
Unfortunately, current systems are limited in their application to traditional stand-alone vending machines and hotel room minibars. There is currently no free-access system that provides for the special requirements of cafeterias, which demand constant real-time replenishment of food items. Moreover, current systems take into account only means of financial accounting for customer purchases of merchandise and therefore do not collect, process, or make available real-time inventory flow and status information that would be of great value in the efficient operation of an automated cafeteria.
In particular, there are the following deficiencies and limitations of cafeterias in general:
It is difficult to monitor and manage the freshness of food items in the cafeteria self-service unit. Each type of food item generally has a limited shelf life in a cafeteria, after which time it must be replaced. This aspect, herein denoted as "freshness control", is normally a difficult process to undertake in a prior art cafeteria. PA1 Another management issue is that of replenishment of food items taken by the patrons. This is commonly performed by visual inspection of the cafeteria self-service unit by a staff person, but in addition to the labor required, visual inspection is inefficient, time-consuming, and often unreliable. This aspect is herein denoted as "replenishment management". PA1 A third management issue is that of assigning space in a cafeteria self-service unit to specific food items. Depending on available supplies of food items and patron demand, there may be a number of different ways of assigning the space of a cafeteria self-service unit. Typically, in a prior art cafeteria, space in a cafeteria self-service unit is assigned on a rigid basis, with only a small amount of ad hoc flexibility that does not formally take into account the dynamic changes in supply and demand that can be expected to occur. This aspect is herein denoted as "shelf management". PA1 1. The layout of the cafeteria self-service unit is far more flexible than in the prior art configurations. This permits more attractive cafeteria self-service units, which may be designed so that they do not look like "vending machines", thereby enhancing the all-important aspect of the way the food is presented to the patron. For example, the cafeteria self-service units can be designed to look like food display cases in a bakery or delicatessen. In such an embodiment, the patrons could be allowed to see over the cafeteria self-service unit into the kitchen area, giving a feeling of openness to the cafeteria. In addition, this lets patrons feel that they are being served by real people, rather than by machines, thereby providing a more conducive environment for dining, generating higher patron satisfaction, and allowing a more generous pricing range. PA1 2. The system according to the present invention provides up-to-the second information for kitchen and planning use, and can extract precise patron purchasing profiles for planning analysis. In addition, the system according to the present invention can collect and process information which is not currently available from prior art point-of-sale terminals, such as latency information on food items. Information of this sort is presently unavailable to cafeteria operators. PA1 3. Pricing of food items can be more versatile. For example, the price of one or more side orders can be included in the price of an entre, and the system can automatically allow the patron to take such items without extra cost. As another example, the system can offer special or combination pricing on a variety of food items. This is another capability which is not provided by prior art automated cafeterias.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, an automated cafeteria free of the above deficiencies and limitations, having an automated payment handler that adapts the benefits of a free-access vending system to the special requirements of the cafeteria food supply operation and service format, and also having data processing capabilities for automated replenishment management, shelf management, and freshness control. This goal is met by the present invention.